Chicago Cubs Baseball

Since Carlos Zambrano arrived in a Chicago Cubs uniform eight years ago, it was evident he was going to be something special.

How special?  Even Ryan Dempster couldn’t have predicted “Big Z’s” on-field accomplishments - or antics.

If anything, Chicago Cubs baseball fans have learned when you think you’ve seen everything Zambrano possibly could do - they haven’t seen anything yet.

And last week, Zambrano proved it again.

By now even the most casual baseball fan has either heard or seen Zambrano’s latest blow-up.  Which on a scale of one to 10, was somewhere between between the volcanic eruptions of Vesuvius in 70 A.D. and Mount St. Helens in 1980.

At last report the city of Chicago withstood Zambrano’s blast and no one, fortunately, was injured.  The only entity to appear to have taken a hit has been Zambrano’s reputation - and wallet, if you can call a $3000 fine to a multi-million dollar player punishment.

If anything, last Wednesday’s meltdown and subsequent ejection added yet another unfortunate asterisk to Zambrano’s somewhat amazing career and status as one of the best athletes in baseball.

Through six-and-a-half seasons as a full-time member of the Chicago Cubs, Zambrano has managed averaged 15 wins a season and is one shy of reaching 100 victories for a career.  He’s logged nearly 1,500 innings in that span, which shows remarkable durability considering the rate at which today’s players find their way to the disabled list.

Zambrano’s a three-time all-star and a two-time recipient of the Silver Slugger Award as the best hitting player at his position.  Oh yeah, and he can pinch run in a pinch.

All of which makes these yearly outbursts that much more the pity.  When people - baseball analysts and professionals - talk as much about a player’s antics as they do about that person’s accomplishments it does nothing but cast a pall on that player’s entire body of work.

When Zambrano’s final entry is written in the Great Scorebook, which will take precedent - his sometimes overpowering, occasional dazzling efforts as a major league player, or the fact that he was, at best, a caricature of himself?

Like his teammates, I admittedly found it hilarious when Zambrano mocked umpire Mark Carlson’s ejection.  The rest of his tirade, meanwhile, put him alongside his manager, Lou Piniella, in terms of legendary blow-ups.

Did the meltdown spark or inspire his Chicago Cub teammates?  Counting Wednesday’s game, the Cubs have won three of their last four, including two over the Los Angeles Dodgers, owners of the best record in baseball.

While the initial jolt may have had the same impact as downing a couple of Red Bulls, the laws of gravity tell us that what goes up eventually comes down.  And sometimes it just never goes away.

If Zambrano needs proof, all he needs to do is consult a teammate.  Like Milton Bradley.

“Unfortunately, I just think it’s a lot of ‘Oh, you did this to my colleague,’ or ‘We’re going to get him any time we can,” Bradley told the Chicago Tribune. “As soon as he gets two strikes, we’re going to call whatever and see what he does. Let’s try to ruin Milton Bradley.”

Yes, Milton, it is unfortunate.  And be a good teammate and tell Big Z the error of your ways.